


Come See It

by MinterferenceProtocol (momentinsubtext)



Series: Aftermath Triad [3]
Category: Jekyll (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-24
Updated: 2015-05-24
Packaged: 2018-03-31 23:07:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3996604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momentinsubtext/pseuds/MinterferenceProtocol
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where love can sneak up on you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come See It

**Author's Note:**

> There is light in there and mystery and food.  
> Come see it.  
> Come not for me but it.  
> But if I am still there, grant that we may see each other
> 
> :: "Just Walking Around", John Ashbury ::

Mrs. Utterson lunges, her fangs bared, and he pushes himself away as hard as he can, toppling the chair and ending up sprawled uselessly on the floor. It's not a position he can defend from, so he grits his teeth and prepares for the worst, wishing fervently that he had Hyde's strength and speed at his disposal.

_(The indistinct image of a door flashes in his mind's eye and slips away.)_  
  
When, a few seconds later, his throat is still completely intact and not dripping bloodily from her jaws, he risks lifting his head to look around.  
  
"At least you don't scream like a girl," she says, looking down at him with an air of amused detachment. "Oh, don't look so surprised, Doctor Jackman. It's not polite to stare at a lady." She straightens the chair but doesn't offer him a hand up. Just as well, because he wouldn't accept it if she did. "Sorry about the fangs, I just can't help myself sometimes. You know how it is. Sit, we'll chat."  
  
He pushes himself off the ground and sits in the chair warily.  
  
"That's better." She sits in the chair opposite him. "How is your family?"  
  
"Fine, no thanks to you."  
  
She shrugs. "And Mr. Hyde?"  
  
"He's dead," he said flatly. "You know that. You killed him."  
  
"Of course we didn't. You're still alive, aren't you?"  
  
"He didn't share the damage."  
  
"He's the only one who could recover from it."  
  
He frowns. "But we're separate now. Peter said-"  
  
"Peter Syme was an idiot," she says dismissively. "You two stitched yourselves right back together when you darkened all of London."  
  
He blinks. "But I-"  
  
_(He sees a door, in his mind's eye, every detail clean and precise. He can see every grain of the wood, every hue of colour. It's a deep mahogany, looks heavy. The handle is brass, polished, with elaborate swirling designs etched into it's surface. There is no lock and other than the handle the door is completely bare. He reaches for it and the whole thing flickers away, leaving him standing in an empty hospital room. He blinks and a hospital bed flickers into existence., the ghost of Hyde laying on the bed, nearly transparent. "Hello, Daddy," he mouths, grinning.)_  
  
He snaps back to himself with a jolt and finds himself already standing. "I- I have to go-"  
  
"Don't let me keep you," Mrs. Utterson says, smirking. "We can finish this conversation when you're feeling more yourself."  
  
He glares at her. "I'm feeling perfectly myself right now, thank you."  
  
She nods in a way that somehow completely fails to acknowledge that what he just said is in any way true.  
  
He's already out the door, phoning Claire to cancel their dinner plans because _Hyde is alive_.  
  
It takes him less than half an hour to make his way to the apartment and strap himself into Hyde's chair.  
  
It isn't that he needs to secure Hyde. No, this time it's that there is no other place he feels comfortable withdrawing so deeply into his own mind. The chair is a habit; he's taught himself to expect Hyde here.  
  
He closes his eyes and-  
  
_(-opens then inside the hospital room._  
  
_Light shines from a single bare bulb, bright and cold. The walls are off-white, just dull enough not to become blinding._  
  
_The single bed is empty when he arrives, but when he blinks Hyde flickers into it. He's under a thick quilt, not hospital issue, surely, all of him but his head. Tom can't see his injuries._  
  
_"Aren't you going to say hello, Daddy?" Hyde asks. "It's only polite."_  
  
_"Hello," he says, then stops. "I don't quite know what to say."_  
  
_"Now there's a first." He grins. "You could start with 'thank you', seeing as I saved your family and all."_  
  
_Tom shakes his head. "Your family too. But thanks."_  
  
_Hyde nods. "How did you know I was here?"_  
  
_"You don't know?"_  
  
_He makes a face, waves at the empty wall. A television screen flickers into existence, blaring static and white noise. "No reception in here."_  
  
_Tom finds himself smiling faintly. "What a shame."_  
  
_"You have no idea. I had this amazing entrance planned," he whines. "You'd have never seen me coming. I was supposed to be a surprise, Daddy. Who ruined my surprise?"_  
  
_"Mrs. Utterson told me you were alive."_  
  
_"Bitch," he says vehemently._  
  
_Tom nods in agreement, then asks mildly, "Did you know she's our mother?"_  
  
_"Mummy?" Hyde asks, childlike wonder creeping into his voice. Tom rolls his eyes. "Mummy spoiled my game?"_  
  
_"Don't pout," he says sharply._  
  
_Now Hyde rolls his eyes._  
  
_Tom turns his focus to the television screen and concentrates, willing the static to dissipate. "If you abuse this I'll take it away," he says without turning._  
  
_"Scouts honour."_  
  
_Tom gives him a look; Hyde chuckles._  
  
_"How long will you be...?" He waves at the hospital bed._  
  
_Hyde shrugs. "Not long now." He looks down at the blanket covering his body curiously. "I'm almost better. Do you think I'll scar?"_  
  
_Tom considers the question seriously. "Do you want to?"_  
  
_"I don't think so," he says after a minute._  
  
_Tom nods. "Then you probably won't."_  
  
_Hyde grabs his wrist as he turns to go. "Are you leaving, Daddy? Please don't leave me."_  
  
_He's momentarily stunned by the please. "You're in my head, how far do you think I can go?"_  
  
"Don't go," _he says plaintively. His grip tightens to the point that if they were in a real place Tom's bones would be protesting. "I don't want you to go."_  
  
_He hesitates, and in the space between one blink and the next he finds himself sat in a comfortable chair by the bedside, a chair that hadn't existed before. Hyde's grip relaxes, so he turns his hand over and squeezes his fingers reassuringly._  
  
_Hyde looks surprised, but he covers it well. "Tell me a story, Daddy."_  
  
_Tom raises his eyebrows._  
  
_"A story," Hyde prompts again._  
  
_He sighs, feels almost fond. "What kind of story?"_  
  
_"Tell me about you and Claire." It's almost, but not quite, a question._  
  
_So Tom does. He talks about meeting Claire, and their first date, and the wedding, and by the time he gets to the birth of the boys, Hyde is asleep. He slips his hand free and-)_  
  
-opens his eyes.  
  
Katherine is watching him from her usual seat.  
  
"Your wife called me," she explains at his questioning glance.  
  
"Ah," he says.  
  
"You were mumbling."  
  
He makes a noncommittal noise and lets himself out of the chair.  
  
"About Mr. Hyde," she says quickly. "Is he-?"  
  
"He's alive."  
  
Katherine breathes a sigh of relief. "Good. And the two of you, will you...?"  
  
"I honestly have no idea. I think we're all right. For the time being."  
  
"I'm glad."  
  
As he heads out the door, he has the distinct and pleasant feeling things are going to be okay.


End file.
